Netanyahu defends Jerusalem demolition

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has defended the demolition of the Shepherd Hotel in East Jerusalem, following international outrage at the decision this week.

A statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that the Israeli government was not involved in the plan to build residential apartments at the site.

“Actions taken at the Shepherd Hotel were conducted by private individuals in accordance with Israeli law. The Israeli government was not involved.

“There should be no expectation that the State of Israel will ban Jews from purchasing private property in Jerusalem. No democratic government would impose such a ban on Jews and Israel will certainly not do so,” the statement said.

The Shepherd Hotel, located in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood, was built in the 1930’s by then-mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin al-Husseini, and was purchased in 1985 by American businessman Irving Moskowitz — who is reportedly planning to build an apartment complex for Jewish families at the hotel site, which was in a derelict condition for years.

“Just as Arab residents of Jerusalem can buy or rent property in predominantly Jewish neighborhoods in Jerusalem, Jews can buy or rent property in predominantly Arab neighborhoods in Jerusalem,” the statement concluded.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton condemned the project, expressing concerns that it undermined the peace process, while Egypt and Jordan warned that the demolition may lead to an outbreak of violence in Jerusalem and the West Bank.